Gun to the Mind
by Justice Ike
Summary: As Callum Stone finds Derek Bailey wounded and is confronted by Gary Wilson,what was he thinking about? Callum's POV. OneShot. T for use of firearm.


**Gun to the Mind**

**I had a slight change of mind with this. This is set during the episode Respect: Part 2, which happens after Hello, World. If you can guess who says each of the bolded quotes at the end,I will give you a cookie!  
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_Derek Bailey. That's who we were looking for. I and some other members of the uniformed relief were driving around in our area cars, looking out for him. That was when my radio sparked into life – it was Jo Masters._

"30 from 46, suspect believed to be in Claymore House."

_Claymore House. That was the derelict building on the Parkway estate. They had been trying to demolish it for almost as long as I had been alive, I seem to remember. I didn't see why the council couldn't just get on with it; it wasn't like anyone wanted the building to stay up, unless you counted all the junkies that scored, dealt and, for some of them, lived in there. It was fitting that our suspect should be there. Beside me and behind me, I saw Roger and Mel tensing up. I knew they wanted this guy as much as I did. Effortlessly, I flicked the sirens on, and, being the lead car, I directed the other area cars and the van to where we needed to be._

_It wasn't long before we were back on this dingy estate. I pulled up outside Claymore House first, allowing the area car containing Kirsty, Leon and Ben overtake and pull up ahead. The van and last remaining area car pulled up somewhere behind and everyone got out of their vehicles. I stared momentarily up at the building that loomed over us, before addressing my team._

"Right, we know Bailey's here somewhere. I'll start at the top; you lot work your way up."

_Without stopping, I turned and led my troops into the building and they followed behind me without question in single file. As we went further in, some of them went off to check the lower levels of the house. I had only one goal and that was to get to the top floor. I marched up the stairs like a man possessed, Kirsty and Mel hovering uneasily behind me, and a few other officers behind them. They were the only two officers who followed me practically all the way up; however, when we got to the sixth floor, I told them to stay behind to check the floor. Mel had nodded, a faint trace of worry on her face, whereas Kirsty looked like she was going to outright protest. We all knew he probably had a gun with him still, and if he was in the wrong frame of mind... I noticed Kirsty's expression change to something I couldn't quite read, before Mel tugs her arm and they both walk off. Looking back, I guess that was her way of showing me that she cared deeply about me in one way or another, which surprised me greatly. Mel, I would have understood, considering the past few months, but Kirsty? I laughed silently. I would never understand that girl. She could be so tomboyish and headstrong sometimes – even now, I still remember her challenging me in the locker room – yet beneath all that bravado she was kind, humorous, caring... I found myself shaking my head as I turned to climb the final set of stairs. __**Alone.**_

_As I neared the top, part of me still wished I had bought one or both of them with me, which made me think, why didn't I let them stay with me? I thought of a million different arguments, but the truth that melted all arguments away burned brighter than ever. The simple truth of the matter, and one that they would never ever know, was that I wanted to protect them. Emma's face briefly flashed before my eyes, before I pulled away from that thought. Her death still hurt me, every single day of my life. The memory of her body just lying there, lifeless...Sally sobbing next to me, clutching her hand, stroking her hair like that would bring her back to life, telling me not to stop... it still haunted me. _

_Every waking moment of my life; every dream. I didn't want to re-live it._

_Focusing back onto the task at hand, I found myself walking down a walkway; my copper trained ears detected the sound of rattling, followed by a crash, faint coughing, and then a quiet moan. Unconsciously, my footsteps became lighter as I slowly sidestepped towards the source. I paused outside of a partially busted metal door that was slightly ajar. My hand went to the hilt of my asp instinctively, like it had a mind of its own and I drew it out before readying it. As I tentatively opened the door wider so I could enter the flat, I raised my asp so the end touched my shoulder. I took a few steps in, surveying the area carefully._

"Derek Bailey? It's the police!"

_No response. Another step._

"Look, Derek, we know you were just trying to help Jasmine. Derek?"

_Still no answer. I turned, going through a doorway into a room that was lit by the natural light. I looked inside it a moment, before I turned my head to the sound of another crash. Inside my chest, my heart was racing. I frown slightly, heading across the dark hall to another equally lit room. I peer around the corner before I hear a groan, and then I see him, sprawled out on the floor; the very man we'd been looking for. His shirt was completely covered in blood._

_Derek Bailey. I ran over to him, dropping my asp and crouched down beside him._

"Derek! Alright there. You are gonna be all right, look at me..."

_I pointed to my eyes, hoping he'd get the message, before assessing his wound. He had been shot, the poor kid, and blood was leaking out of a wound in his stomach. Whoever had done this obviously knew we were after him as a witness, and had come around here to silence him. I rose, looking for anything to staunch the flow of blood._

"Keep pressure on that, won't you?"

_I spotted a towel on the floor. It was slightly dirty, but I didn't care. If it saved his life, Derek could sue me afterwards. I was about to turn back to him, when I saw a silhouette through the other door to the room. I rose slowly, walking up to it, before I found myself walking backwards again, a gun pointing at my head in the hands of none other than Gary Wilson. I hesitantly glance back at Derek, before staring down the barrel of the gun again. I notice Gary looking at Derek nervously._

"I need to check him."

_I turn to face Derek once more, discreetly pushing the panic button on my radio while Gary can't see me. But he must've sensed something's up, as I feel him grab me, turning me half around, before pressing the gun to my neck. I'm powerless to stop him._

"Don't touch him! Don't...touch him."

"Ok, we're cool! Ok! Just put the gun down Gary, yeah?"

_I turned around fully of my own accord, facing Gary again_

"I have to try and stop his bleeding..."

"Stay there." _He interrupts, gesturing with his gun, before looking away for a moment. I swallow fearfully._

"He's going to die..."

"I **said**... Stay there." _He gestures again._

"Okay." _I nod. _"Okay..."

_I hear Derek groan again. I know I have no choice but to try and talk Gary down. Easier said than done; he's got a gun to my face._

"Is this your best bet? You put the gun down, and you let me take him to hospital." _Gary wipes his brow nervously. _"That way, you're off the murder charge; it'll help your case when you come to court." _I set it out plain and simple for him._

"But I ain't going to court!"

_I shake my head. _"No way 'round it."

"What did I say? Shut up! Shut up."

_He clearly isn't going to be reasoned with. Outside, I hear the sirens of what I hope is the Armed Response Unit. During that moment, my thoughts turned to my wife and child, Sally and Cally. If Sally knew I was here, she would be having a fit, I was sure of it. For both our sakes, I tried again._

"You have a choice to make, right now. And you are making the wrong one."

_Behind Gary, I see the shadows of the armed officers moving outside. Gary turns his head – I thought he had heard them coming, but he hadn't. I could see one of the officers taking aim on the kid before me. I knew if he shot, there was no way I would be able to dodge in time. I simply had to force Gary to give up his weapon. I sighed._

"Top man with your crew, aren't you? Hard man, 'specially with the girls. Knock 'em about, rape 'em, pass 'em around like spliff..."

_I paused for a moment. _

"There's going to be guys outside, Armed Response Unit. You're not top man to them. They will shoot you. And they won't think twice."

_I told Gary bluntly, shaking my head. I had obviously gotten under his skin, as he wiped his brow again. I held my hands up. _

"Just...Put the gun down." _My voice wavered a bit, my fear seeping through. _"Give yourself a chance. Or get stupid, and die."

_Gary started to breathe heavily. I could tell he was getting worked up. I kept up with it, my voice a near whisper now._

"Come on Gary." _I saw the armed officer gesturing for me to move aside, but I was determined not to let this kid die. _"Come on. There's only one way around this."

_Our eyes locked for what seemed like forever, until be both heard Derek groaning behind us. We watched him lie down and Gary tried to move to him, despair etched on his face. I turned back to him, but he was still distracted. I seized my opportunity, all thoughts of my safety fleeing from my head. I grabbed his wrist, slamming the hand with the gun in it against the wall and pulling him with me. I managed to pin him momentarily, before he smacked me in the head with an arm and I staggered back, allowing him to free his hand, pointing the gun back at my head. We grappled for a moment, before Gary knocked me off balance, and I fell, pulling him with me. A loud bang filled my ears; as it did, my whole life flashed before me. All my rights; all my wrongs..._

"_**You're lucky to be alive...That was most stupid and dangerous!"**_

"_**Yeah, I thought so..."**_

"_**I'm sorry...I didn't realise you and Emma were so close..."**_

"_**Sarge, I didn't sign up for this...!"**_

"_**I looked him in the eye and I asked him."**_

"_**Your mother doesn't want you here..."**_

"_**Whatever you say...Sugar!"**_

"_**All that girl wanted to do was reconnect with her father, and thanks to you, Stone, he's in custody!"**_

"_**Now this time, you got lucky; we got lucky! You don't need me to tell you, it could've gone the other way. We could be talking to your next of kin!"**_

"_**I've seen dead bodies, that's what we do."**_

"_**We can't save every damsel in distress..."**_

"_**Some people can change, sarge."**_

"_**Just please...please don't stop..."**_

_As I fell, the last face I saw was her. My wife, cradling our baby in her arms. How beautiful they both looked, both of my girls. I wanted to reach out to them, tell them how much I loved them. I remember that they had both been asleep when I left for work, and I hadn't even said goodbye. The last thing I remember thinking as I hit the ground was that never would be able to. I prayed the bullet had missed me, because I didn't want to die. _

_I didn't want to be shot dead by a gun to the mind._


End file.
